WASHINGTON – For the first time since 1998, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has approved a budget that fully funds the final budget request from Loudoun County Public Schools.
The budget for the fiscal year starting in July includes $991.7 million for the school system out of the county’s $2.2 billion total budget. The board also lowered the property tax rate to keep average property tax bills steady.
The average property tax bill in the county is about $4,800.
Vice Chairman Ralph Buona, R-Ashburn, calls the budget a great compromise.
“In a lot of ways it’s the nirvana because not only did we stick to the equalized tax rate, but we funded the school budget as well,” he said after the 7-2 vote.
Supervisors Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, and Suzanne Volpe, R-Algonkian, voted no.
The capital improvement program approved alongside the budget Wednesday night provides $114 million for schools, including $108 million for the new Academies of Loudoun, which is an education center focused on science, technology, engineering and math.
The approved budget also provides $248 million for transportation projects that are primarily tied to the new Silver Line Metro stations, which are scheduled to open in 2018. The transportation projects also include roads, Dulles Corridor Rapid Transit and new parking garages.
